Title: Holding my Own

Rating:K+

Summary: A Sakura-centred fic that will give you a new-found respect for our favorite pink-haired ninja.

Holding my Own

Chapter 4:Mind Cage

Her eyes opened wide as she awoke within the dreamscape her jutsu had created. Standing up, Sakura's sandals scraped against the stone paved floor of the dark and cavernous tunnel she now appeared to be in. She suddenly felt very cold and rubbed her arms reflexively to ward off the chill.

She had performed this jutsu many times now and knew it was all in her mind. literally. Her body was warm and hopefully safe lying on the floor of Orochimaru's house. She was in complete control here and her jitters were just a nervous release for what was ahead.

A scream of rage echoed in the darkness. Turning quickly she looked towards the source of the sound. In the dim light she could make out the shape of box that appeared far from where she stood. She recognized it instantly for it was what she had created for him. Willing the distance closed between her and her target it came closer to reveal a cage of steel bars encasing a solitary figure.

"Sasuke."

The possessed boy covered in the black swirling pattern of the curse seal still maintained his Sharigan even in this dream state. Although unable to use chakra in this place his appearance made her cringe. Sasuke's eyes locked onto her. His yelling renewed and he hurled himself at the bars to claw at her. She stood there out of reach and calmly crossed her arms to watch his efforts.

"It is useless Sasuke-kun. You can't overpower the controller of this jutsu once it has taken effect. Unlike Ino's trick, a strong will or great chakra cannot break it. This is one of the Leaf's most powerful genjutsu. It is used for interrogation of dangerous prisoners, in fact I could even hold this against the Hokage once she was caught within it."

Sakura sat down on the ground and leaned back against the wall she had willed to now be there behind her.

"I suggest you get comfortable because we're probably going to be here for a while," she said in a dry tone.

He paced like a tiger within the space the cage allowed. Striking at bars a few more times, he stopped directly in front of her to lean his face onto the bars. His cold red stare locked on her.

"You surprised me, Sakura. I was so focused on Naruto I never thought you'd be a problem. I admit I am very impressed. Let me go now or I promise you will die very painfully when Orochimaru comes back."

Sakura stared back impassively.

"You can't scare me, Sasuke-kun. You know as well as I there is no sure thing in a battle and I am confident in my team." Her voice took on a teasing tone. "In fact, are you so sure Orochimaru will bother to gather up a ninja who was beaten by a weak little girl like me?"

Baring his teeth at her, Sasuke turned away. Sakura relaxed a little as he spun away. Hopefully that was would be the worst of it. Unfortunately he turned back to her very quickly, yet this time his eyes were dark and clear. He looked pleadingly at her and his skin was no longer blemished with the seal's mark. This time it was the face of the boy she had fallen in love with.

"You have to understand, Sakura," he said pleadingly. "I need to do this to defeat my brother, Itachi. I can't do it on my own. I need you. Let me go from this trap. This is the only way my parents' spirits may finally find rest. I know I seem to be doing the wrong thing, but it really is the only way. I need your help now and then we can be together." He reached out to her. "Onegai?"

She shut her eyes tightly. Sakura's heart leapt at the warmth and need he now showed her. It set the cauldron of her feelings to boil.

"These are words I have wanted to hear for so long," she thought.

Her desire to truly have his affection made the proper response only that much harder give.

"And was Naruto's death also part of your plan to help avenge the Uchiha clan? Nice try, but the real Sasuke would never ask for help to achieve his goals. Whatever you are inside him you're just wasting your breath."

A snarl marked the defeat as he turned away for a second time.

Sakura exhaled. She felt confident that she could handle what ever nasty words he threw at her and settled back to wait till Kakashi and Jiraiya returned to them.

They would need to perform a canceling seal to end her jutsu. She was sure the senin knew how to perform it even if Kakashi-sensei surprisingly did not. They were both cutoff from the real world till then or when she broke it herself. All in all, it was a very lonely place to be.

Crouching in the center of the cage, the creature Sasuke had become glared fiercely at her. The Sharigan and curse seal had returned to give him an appropriately demonic look, while the sound of his breathing had gained a low yet audible hiss.

"Your s'chakra is s'not that powerful. It will soon fail and then you will be helpless against me. That fox boy is nothing, but smoldering cinders by now."

Fear began to grip Sakura as she uncomfortably watched the shape of Sasuke's eyes changed from more to less human. It was like he was slowly transforming into a snake right in front of her. She realized his diseased mind was slowly distorting the projection of itself in her binding.

"I don't need to watch this!" Sakura got up and stared to walk away from the cage. The Mind Cage no jutsu forced captor and captive to be within eyesight of each other in the dreamscape, but she knew she could get at least as far away from him as when the jutsu had begun.

"You think you can ignore me!" Sasuke screamed. A shriek erupted from the boy as he clutched at his head. The sound was like nails on slate, both terrible and inhuman.

Sakura was forced to her knees by the sudden jolt of pain. It felt as if hundreds of needles were being pushed into her skull. She turned in horror to watch the cage buckle and swell like soggy ramen.

"This is isn't possible," she thought. "He must be hurting himself as much as me. I need to stop him before the cage is ripped apart."

She turned and put her hand out towards the cage to focus. She tried to will the cage to return to its unbent form. The Sasuke-creature's wail became even stronger. The pain was unbelievable and it tore through her. She pulled her hands to her ears and started to bend towards the ground. Sakura felt her control slipping.

"This is bad..."

Instantly, it stopped.

She looked up in surprise to see the cage returned to its solid form and Sasuke seated cross-legged. All the reptilian features were gone, only the sharigan and his curse markings remained. He was quiet and subdued as he glared at something behind her. She turned to look where his ire lay and saw a mirror image of herself just a few feet behind. The replica stood with arm outstretched facing the cage.

Sakura's mouth dropped open. She asked, "Who are you?"

The duplicate-her walked next to Sakura, but her attention still seemed focused on the cage, giving Sakura a moment to study this "other self". Though identical this girl was different from her in some ways. She exuded a great confidence and her stance was almost arrogant looking.

"Now are you going to be a good little boy, Sasuke-kun?" said the body double.

Sasuke sniffed irritably and looked at the ground. Satisified that he was done with his tantrum she turned to greet Sakura with a bright smile.

"Good! Well now that's over with, Hajimemashite!" (jap.= greeting for first time)

"Hajimemashite. I'm sorry, who are you again?" asked Sakura again.

"Oh I'm you! Let's take a load off," she said pulling the original down to sit with her to the ground.

Sakura was beginning to become annoyed. This other self appeared rather bossy. Actually then she began to wonder if she seemed bossy to others... of course not.

Clearing her head with a slight shake, she decide to inquire further. "What do you mean you're me? Like a delusion or a split personality. are you real?"

The other Sakura laughed. "Well yes of course I'm real. I'm a part of you, silly girl. I bet you think you're going crazy right now. Sorry. I didn't want to interfere, but Sasuke over there became a handful so I had to step in."

"I see." Still skeptical Sakura continued, "So, why didn't I know about you before. Have you always been around or are you a thing that popped in my head when I started my genjutsu training."

The double started to answer her, when Sasuke started up again. He leaned against the bars and leered at them.

"When did you learn this little trick, Sakura? Two for the price of one." His voice dripped venom. "When we get back to the real world maybe you can bring her with you for a little ménage a trios action?"

Sakura was disgusted. The other self was already on her feet facing the cage.

"I don't know about you, but I've had about enough."

She reached out a hand to pull Sakura up. Holding onto her, the double stretched an arm again towards the prison.

"We have to work together to do this."

Sakura felt at once what her reflection was planning and nodded. Facing the bars she concentrated as well.

Sasuke's smug face changed when he saw what they were doing. Bricks began to materialize, filling in the spaces between the bars. He snarled and tried to attack their minds once again. He found to his frustration he could no longer pierce their minds with his cries like before. He was completely powerless this time around.

"You whore," he cursed at them, "I swear that when I get out of here you will be the last to die Sakura! You will watch everyone you love fall in front of you. Arrgh! You can't do this to me!"

Sakura felt the threats slide off of her like beads of water. The calmness she seemed to absorb from this other self was like a balm. The desperation built in Sasuke's voice as the final line of bricks was laid.

"Sakura! It hurts! Stop it! Please, I don't want to be alone. Sakura!!"

His screams cut off abruptly as the last piece was set. It all was too much. Throwing away the other's hand, sobs erupted from Sakura. Blinded by tears, she wrapped her arms around herself as if to try and hug away the pain. There on the ground she felt another pair of comforting arms enjoin around her in gentle way. They remained silent for a long time.

"It will be ok, Sakura," she said at last. "I know it hurts to give pain to the ones we love even more than it does to receive it. Don't worry. He'll be fine. When this is all over he will be made whole again. You'll see."

Sakura looked at this other self and nodded. It was amazing that she could take this apparition's soothing words as truth so easily.

Wiping away her tears she said with a sniffle, "So where did you come from?"

This time the girl's smile returned small and wistful. She stood and looked away, allowing the pause to lengthen for a few moments then spoke in a whispering voice.

"Tell me Sakura about how you were born."

Sakura blinked away tears confused and slowly related what details her parents had given her about her birth.

"Well mom and dad said I was a beautiful baby. Of course all parents say that. The pregnancy was a very difficult one for mom... The doctor told her she probably shouldn't have children again after me. Father said he didn't mind, I was all they needed... I was also born premature. There were complications in labor too... It was because I was suppose to have an identical twin, but. she was stillborn."

Sakura looked up in awe at this girl in front her. The little differences she couldn't name before came immediately to light. The hair was slightly shorter, parted a different way. The shape of her grin and set of the shouders weren't quite like hers and the clothes, though the same seemed to fit a little differently. It was all so obvious now.

"It was so hard on you and her," the girl said quietly. "I knew that if we were to both make it she probably wouldn't. I loved you both so much. I just couldn't let that happen. For some reason, I don't know why, I've always thought of myself as the older one. I know that seems odd, but I knew I wanted to make sure that my little sister made it into this world with a mom and a dad. " She paused. "Passing my spirit's strength to you made it all possible in the end."

The girl tried to hide the melancholy in her voice. "I don't mind it. I knew you were the stronger one and this way I would be with you forever."

Sakura gawked at her still in disbelief. "So you're my sister?"

The twin shook her head slightly. "No not really, l'm just the part of you that was a gift from a sister you won't ever know, but I will always be with you as her love will be."

She sat down on the ground again beside Sakura, who suddenly felt very sleepy. It was funny. It felt like the most natural thing to lay her head down in the lap of this girl she just met in her dream. She was going to need therapy after this. The hand that stroked Sakura's head felt warm and gentle. She felt protected and cared for. They seemed to stay like that for hours.

"O-nei-chan?"

"Hmm?."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"No, not like this. But think of me when you see your reflection in the morning or when you dream at night and I will always be there. I am always on your side, like an inner-you. And when strong emotions happen or difficult times come you can hear me then cheering you on from the inside."

The twin sighed sadly.

"Sakura our time is almost up, but promise me one small thing?"

"Anything."

"When you get back can you ask mom what she was going to name that other girl? I've always wanted to know."

Sakura felt so tired as she looked up at her inner-sister-self. She promised, "I will. And when I have a daughter with Sasuke I will give her that name."

Unable to remain awake any longer Sakura drifted off under her sister's tender smile.

E V I L A N G E L N U M B E R 1 3

Hey peoples hope you enjoyed this chapter don't forget to read and review just a little reminder i do take criticism to a certain degree still don't have any ideas yet so well see ya next time! =) LUVLLES!

EA#13